Syracuse, N.Y. — It was not long ago that the Syracuse offensive line looked like one of the most stable units on the team. The big question was the future of the center position, where three candidates seemed to be considered in the hunt to replace multi-year starter Macky MacPherson.

But revelations this week that right tackle Ivan Foy is suspended indefinitely and right guard Nick Robinson is out with a foot injury have ensured that spring practice will be spent using a patchwork line. Now, it is worth watching how guards Omari Palmer, Kyle Knapp and right tackle Michael Lasker perform with the first-team offense, just as much as it will be observing the new faces at center.

Rob Trudo, who started every game last season at left guard, will start the spring as the first-team center. The move was somewhat surprising given that redshirt sophomore Jason Emerich served as the primary backup to MacPherson. Trudo was the emergency center, MacPherson said, and started seeing an increase in reps by midseason.

"Macky took so many snaps for us, we got to the point where we were like, you know, I don't know if Jason is ready to go," head coach Scott Shafer said Wednesday. "Rob is comfortable doing it. We made the decision as a staff to start spring ball out that way. I know Rob is excited about it, and I know Jason will be excited to compete."

Emerich played sparingly last season late in games in which the outcome was decided and when MacPherson briefly left the game for a few series because of minor injury. Lasker got important game experience late in the season when Sean Hickey was injured, and Palmer rotated in sparingly for Trudo at the left guard spot.

There's little doubt who the staff feels is most qualified to anchor the offensive line in the middle.

"Rob has big shoes to fill, but I'm not asking him to be somebody he's not," first-year offensive line coach Joe Adam said. "I'm asking him to be the best Rob Trudo he can, and Jason is going to compete and there will be others along the way.

"We will compete. Nothing is given and nothing is handed out, so we're going to compete at a high level and we'll see where the depth chart sits here at the end of spring."

Follow Nate Mink on Twitter @MinkNate and Google+ or email him at nmink@syracuse.com.